1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a lightweight, reusable stencil assembly for use in stenciling characters, like letters or numbers, or a design on a surface, such as a wall, pillar, fence, post, pot, handbag, canister, street curb, furniture, or fabric.
2. Background Information
Stencils are known for use in applying decorative designs and messages on surfaces, such as walls, clothing, and street curbs. There is a need, though, for an easy to use, inexpensive stencil that will allow a lay person to precisely apply a custom design or message on a variety of surfaces, including curved surfaces such as pillars, posts, canisters, and pots. There is also a need for a stencil kit with several stencil bases that can easily be connected end to end or in parallel so that a longer or more complex message or design can be printed or marked on the desired surface. The stencil assembly and stencil kit of the present invention fill these needs.
The present invention is a reusable, lightweight stencil assembly for use in stenciling on a variety of surfaces. The easy to use stencil assembly includes:
(a) a reusable stencil base framing an elongated opening; the opening being straddled by two opposite interior spaced apart long edges; the stencil base further comprising at least one exterior long edge, preferably parallel to the interior long edges, and a plurality of female stencil base cut-outs along at least one of the long edges; and
(b) a plurality of stencil pieces of sufficient size for close insertion in the opening; the stencil pieces being formed of a common material and generally having a common length; the stencil pieces being interchangeably arrangeable in the opening between the interior long edges; a majority of the stencil pieces each comprising an individual character cut-out; the stencil piece character cut-outs being configured to receive a stenciling material; the stencil pieces further comprising at least one male stencil piece projection on at least one of its sides, the male stencil piece projection being insertable in at least one of the female stencil base cut-outs. A preferred, flexible flexible embodiment is conformable to a non-planar surface. A preferred rectangular-shaped embodiment includes a leg in each of its four corners. A stencil kit is also included herein.